Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should withhold the contribution of Federal funds to the World Health Organization until Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus resigns and an international commission to investigate the World Health Organization is established.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 917 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should withhold the contribution of Federal funds to the World Health Organization until Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus resigns and an international commission to investigate the World Health Organization is established. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 7, 2020 Mr. RESCHENTHALER (for himself, Mr. PERRY, Mr. KELLER, Mr. BABIN, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. WRIGHT, Mr. BANKS, Mr. TIMMONS, Mr. COL- LINS of Georgia, Mr. ROY, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Ms. CHENEY, Mr. FERGUSON, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. GAETZ, and Mr. FLORES) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should withhold the contribution of Federal funds to the World Health Organization until Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus resigns and an international commission to investigate the World Health Organization is established. Whereas, on April 7, 1948, the World Health Organization was formed as an agency of the United Nations; Whereas the World Health Organization Constitution states, ‘‘The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attain- VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:53 Apr 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR917.IH HR917 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 917 IH ment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and States’’; Whereas, on June 14, 1948, the Congress passed a joint res- olution providing for and participation by the United States in the World Health Organization and authorizing an appropriation therefor; Whereas the United States joined the World Health Organi- zation on June 21, 1948, and currently contributes 22 percent of the World Health Organizations member-state contributions; Whereas Caixin Global reported that the People’s Republic of China ordered Chinese Labs destroy COVID-19 genome samples and not publish their research; Whereas, on December 30, 2019, Dr. Li Wenliang issued a warning about COVID-19 and was accused of lying by the Chinese Communist Party authorities; Whereas, on December 31, 2019, the Republic of China warned the World Health Organization that COVID-19 could be transmitted human-to-human, but the World Health Organization ignored their warning as not to of- fend the People’s Republic of China; Whereas, on January 14, 2020, the World Health Organiza- tion tweeted, ‘‘preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission’’; Whereas, on January 22–23, 2020, the World Health Organi- zation debated if COVID-19 was a ‘‘public health emer- gency of international concern’’ as several countries had citizens sick with the virus; Whereas Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus stated, ‘‘The Chinese government is to be congratulated for the ex- VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:53 Apr 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR917.IH HR917 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 917 IH traordinary measures it has taken . . . I left in abso- lutely no doubt about China’s commitment to trans- parency’’; Whereas a University of Southampton study argues the Peo- ple’s Republic of China could have reduced the number of COVID-19 cases by 95 percent if the nation moved three weeks sooner; and Whereas, on January 30, 2020, Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus stated on the topic of travel to and from China, ‘‘WHO doesn’t recommend limiting trade and movement’’: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that no Federal funds should be obligated or 2 expended to make voluntary United States contributions 3 to the World Health Organization until Director-General 4 Tedros Ghebreyesus resigns and an international commis- 5 sion is established to investigate the World Health Organi- 6 zation mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:53 Apr 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR917.IH HR917 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS